cop-out

Main Entry:
alibi [al-uh-bahy]
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: defense against charges of wrongdoing; evidence of absence
Synonyms: account, affirmation, airtight case, allegation, answer, assertion, assurance, avowal, case, cop-out, cover, declaration, excuse, explanation, fish story, justification, plea, pretext, profession, proof, reason, reply, retort, song and dance, stall, statement, vindication
Notes: an alias is an assumed name, an alibi is a form of defense whereby a defendant attempts to prove that he or she was elsewhere when the crime in question was committed, while an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness
Main Entry: excuse
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: reason, explanation
Synonyms: alibi, apology, cleanup, cop-out, cover story, cover*, coverup, defense, disguise, evasion, expedient, extenuation, fish story, grounds, jive, justification, makeshift, mitigation, plea, pretext, rationalization, regrets, routine, semblance, shift, song and dance, song*, stall, stopgap, story, substitute, subterfuge, trick*, vindication, whitewash, why and wherefore
Notes: an alias is an assumed name, an alibi is a form of defense whereby a defendant attempts to prove that he or she was elsewhere when the crime in question was committed, while an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness
a pardon is the act of excusing a mistake or offense; an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness
Main Entry: plea
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: excuse, defense
Synonyms: action, alibi, allegation, apology, argument, cause, claim, cop-out, explanation, extenuation, fish tale, justification, mitigation, out, palliation, pleading, pretext, rationalization, right, song and dance, story, vindication, whitewash
Antonyms: decision, sentence
Main Entry: pretext
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: disguise; alleged reason
Synonyms: affectation, alibi, appearance, bluff, cleanup, cloak, color*, coloring, cop-out, cover, cover story, cover-up, device, excuse, face, feint, fig leaf, front, guise, mask, masquerade, plea, ploy, pretense, red herring, routine, ruse, semblance, show, simulation, song and dance, stall, stratagem, subterfuge, veil*
Antonyms: reality, truth
Related Words
Main Entry: evasion
Part of Speech: noun
Related
Adjectives:
avoiding, elusive, escaped, escaping, evasive, fugitive, lucifugous, neutral, runaway, shy, unattempted, unsought, wild
Concept Thesaurus
Concept: [Ostensible motive, ground, or reason assigned] Pretext.
Category: 2. Causes of volition
Synonyms:
-nouns
pretext, pretense, pretension, plea; allegation, advocation; ostensible motive, subterfuge, obtensible ground, obtensible reason, phony reason; excuse (vindication); color; gloss, guise, cover., loophole, starting hole; how to creep out of, salvo, come off; way of escape., handle, peg to hang on, room, locus standi; stalking-horse, cheval de bataille, cue., pretense (untruth); put off, dust thrown in the eyes; blind; moonshine; mere pretext, shallow pretext; lame excuse, lame apology; tub to a whale; false plea, sour grapes; makeshift, shift, white lie; special pleading (sophistry); soft sawder (flattery).
-verbs
pretend, plead, allege; shelter oneself under the plea of; excuse (vindicate); lend a color to; furnish a handle; make a pretext of, make a handle of; use as a plea; take one's stand upon, make capital out of , pretend (lie) [more].
-adjectives
ostensibly (manifest); alleged, apologetic; pretended.
-adverbs
ostensibly; under color; under the plea, under the pretense of, under the guise of.
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